Mucker and skip loader



Aug. 30, 1966 L. 1.. HUELSDONK r 3,

MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER Filed Jan. 13, 196 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Lewis A. Haelsaonk WWW/MM 30, 1966 L. L. HUE LSDONK 3,269,566

MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER 5 Sheets-Ghee t 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1964 0, 1966 1... HUELSDONK MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 13, 1964 Aug. 30, 1966 L. L. HUELSDONK 3,259,556

MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER Filed Jan. 13, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

1966 L. L. HUELSDONK 3,269,566

MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER Filed Jan. 13, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig United States Patent 3,269,566 MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER Lewis L. Huelsdonk, P1). Box 177, Downieville, Calif. Filed Jan. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,328 Claims. (Cl. 214-41) This invention relates in general to inclined-shaft mining, and particularly to the loading and disposal of the muck accumulating in the shaft at its face end as the digging operation progresses; the present invention representing improvements over the apparatus shown in my United States Patent No. 2,901,134, dated August 25, 1959.

In said patent, the mucker and skip were combined as a unitary device which had to be hauled up to the head of the inclined shaft for unloading. This obviously caused a time consuming and costly delay in the muck gathering operation as the mucker operators had to remain idle in the shaft while the mucker was being raised to the shaft head for unloading and then returned to the face end thereof for the next load.

Further, the mucker was a swingable member controlled by cables projecting thereto from a winch mounted in the shaft. This necessitated disconnecting the cables from the mucker before the latter could be pulled to the shaft head for unloading, and again connecting the cables to the mucker when the latter was returned empty to the face end of the shaft. This resulted in further delay and added to the cost of operation.

Also, the mucker was quite limited in its arc of lateral movement and which necessitated recurrent transverse relocation of the mucker supporting rails in the shaft in order to enable the mucker to dig and gather muck from the entire width of the shaft.

It is, therefore, the major object of the present invention to provide a mucker and skip loader which (in cooperation with a separate skip) enables the digging or mucking, and muck disposing operations to be carried out repetitively without any substantial time lags or delays.

An additional important object of the invention is to construct and mount the mucker on its support in such a manner that (after being loaded) the mucker may be retracted a short distance only from its digging position, and there caused to discharge into the separate skip then positioned alongside the mucker; the skip (when loaded) being pulled to the head of the shaft without disturbing the mucker and enabling the latter to be immediately returned to its digging position to be again loaded.

Another important object of the invention is to mount the mucker so that it can be readily and quickly shifted from side to side of the shaft whereby to dig and gather muck therefrom for the complete width thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure, for the purpose described, which includes a mucker and a rock drilling unit operable separate from each other, but which are mounted on a single laterally swingable longitudinally movable, power actuated frame; such frame also providing a mount for the control mechanisms for the frame, the mucker and the drilling unit. Additionally such frame carries a seat for the opera-ter of such mechanisms so that he may reach and manipulate the control elements separately and at the necessary times.

Another object of the invention is to construct and mount the mucker so that when in a retracted unloading position, the mucker is some distance above the floor of the shaft as necessary for discharge into the skip; and when in an advanced digging position, the mucker ice is automatically disposed in a position with its digging scoop at substantially floor level.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable mucker and skip loader.

As a result of the above objects, a mucker and loader has been provided which effects the desired results in a more convenient, eflicient, economical and time saving manner than heretofore possible.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the improved mucker and skip loader; the mucker being shown in a retracted position while a rock drilling operation is being performed.

FIG. 2 is a similar view, but showing the rock drilling unit retracted and the mucker advanced.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, showing the mucker advanced and at the start of a digging pass.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view, showing the mucker as retracted from a digging position and swung to discharge into the skip disposed alongside the mucker.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevation of the structure with the mucker in the retracted position of FIG. 1, showing particularly the internal gate in the mucker and the releasable stop means for the mucker supporting truck.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view, showing the mucker in retracted position for discharge into the skip and with the mucker gate latch released to allow the gate to swing to a discharging position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the mucker in retracted position, and the gate latch release mechanism associated therewith; the view being taken from the side of the structure opposite that shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken substantially on line 88 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the mucker of the present invention is designed to he used within an inclined shaft 1, and to engage and load the muck in the shaft at the face end 2 thereof.

The mucker itself, as hereinafter described, is movably supported from the floor of the shaft 1 in the following manner:

An elongated subframe 3, extending lengthwise of the shaft 1, includes longitudinal base beams 4 which are slidably supported by guides 5 mounted on cross beams or ties 6 on the floor of the shaft 1. The subframe 3 tends to slide of itself toward the face end 2 of the shaft 1, and is adjustably prevented from so doing by a winch 7 mounted on the subframe 3 at its upper end and a cable 8 which extends back from the winch to and about a direction changing sheave 9 anchored on a tie 6. From the sheave 9, the cable 8 extends forwardly to an anchor point on the forward end of the subframe centrally of the width thereof, as shown at 10 in FIG. 3.

Superimposed on the subframe 3 and extending for substantially the full length thereof is a swing frame 11. Such swing frame 11 terminates short of the rear end of the subframe 3 and adjacent such termination is pivoted thereon, as at 12, for lateral swinging movement to one side or the other of a position on said subframe 3 parallel thereto. Swinging movement of the swing frame 11 is controlled by the following means:

Mounted on the subframe 3 just back from the swing frame 11 is a double drum winch 14 of a standard type.

The cables of the drums of this winch extend forwardly therefrom and thence pass over direction changing pulleys 16 which are mounted on the sides of the subframe 3 in opposed relation. One of said cables after leaving one of the pulleys extends transversely and is anchored to one side of the swing frame 11. The other cable 15 after leaving the other pulley :16 also extends transversely and is anchored to the other side of the swing frame 11, as most clearly shown in FIG. 4. Thus, by suitable operation of the winch 14, the swing frame 11 may be swung back and forth. In this way the swing frame can be set parallel to or to either side of the subframe 3 and then held in the selected position.

Superimposed on the swing frame 11 is the mucker indicated generally at 17, and which is substantially of the same form as that shown in my United States Patent 2,901,134 except for such features as will be later described.

The mucker 17 is supported on a truck 18 and is pivotally connected thereto for relative swinging movement by an upstanding spindle 19 mounted on the truck; the pivotal axis being centrally of the sides and intermediate the ends of said mucker. At its ends the truck .18 includes flanged wheels 20 which ride rails 21 secured on the swing frame 11 in laterally offset relation. At their forward ends, the rails slope with a downward curvature to a termination a short distance beyond the swing frame 11, as clearly shown at 22. Wheel stops 23, which limit forward movement of the truck 18, are mounted on the rails 21 at the front ends thereof, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. By means of this arrangement, the mucker 17 when advanced to a digging position will be disposed at a steeper angle than that of the shaft 1 and thus will be able to dig to the floor thereof. This, obviously 'is something which could not othewise be done, because of the necessarily elevated level of the mucker relative to the shaft floor and on which (adjacent the face end 2) accumulates some of the muck to be scooped into said mucker.

The mucker 17 comprises a body 24 of rectangular form in cross section; said body including top and bottom plates 25 and 26, respectively, through which the pivot spindle 19 projects, and opposed side walls 27 and 28. The side wall 27, when the mucker is in a retracted position, faces away from the side of the swing frame 11 toward which the mucker supporting truck 18 and its mounting rails 21 are offset. A digging scoop 29 projects from one end of the body 24 for the full height thereof, and with the back of the scoop generally alined with the side wall 27 so that the scoop is open toward the opposite side of the body.

A discharge gate 30 normally closes the body 24 at the end thereof opposite the scoop 29; said gate being vertically hinged to the corresponding end of the side wall 27, as at 31. A stop unit 32 on the top of the body and gate adjacent the hinge prevents opening of the gate beyond a position in which the gate is alined with the side wall 27, as shown in FIG. 4.

Vertically pivoted intermediate its ends on the side wall 28 at the gate end thereof is a latch plate 33 which at its forward end is adapted to engage over the free edge of the gate when the latter is closed and to then prevent the gate from opening. The latch plate is adapted to be depressed adjacent its rear end to release the gate at the will of the operator but only when the mucker is retracted and in a reversed and angular position to discharge its load, as shown in FIG. 4. This is accomplished by the following means:

Extending lengthwise of and journaled on the side wall 28 is a rod 34. A finger 35 is fixed on and depends from the forward end of the rod in overlying relation to the latch plate 33, as shown in FIG. 7. An arm 36 depends from the rear end of the rod, and at its lower end said arm carries a rearwardly facing pad 37 which is disposed in a plane at right angles to the length of the 4 swing frame 11 when the mucker is disposed in its fully retracted angular position thereon, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. Transversely pivoted on the rails 21 just back from the fully retracted position of the mucker 17 and its supporting truck 18 is an upstanding arm 38 surmounted by a relatively heavy ball-like head 39; the arm 38 and head 39 being alined with the pad 37 when the mucker is in said retracted, reversed and angular discharge position. The arm 38 normally has an upward slope to the rear and is connected by a horizontal connecting rod 40 to a hand lever 41 which is pivotally mounted on the swing frame 11 to the rear of said arm 38. By means of this arrangement, and because of the angular disposition of the pad 37 relative to the direction of movement of the head 39 and to the rod 34, advance of said head against the pad (by manipulation of hand lever 41) will impart rotation to said rod in a direction to cause the finger 35 to swing against the catch plate 33 and release the latter from the gate 30. Since the mucker is then in a downwardly sloping position toward the gate 30, the pressure of the material in the mucker body will cause the gate to swing to an open position of itself.

Rotation of the mucker 17 between a fully advanced, forward and downwardly inclined digging position and a fully retracted, reversed and angular discharge position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 respectively, is controlled by the following arrangement:

Mounted on the swing frame 11 adjacent the rear end thereof is a transversely disposed reversible two-drum winch 42 of conventional form. The cable 43 from one drum extends forwardly to connection with a bar 44 which extends over the top of the mucker body at the digging scoop end thereof; such bar being pivoted on the back of the scoop, as at 45. Relative swinging of the bar 44 toward the gate end of the mucker body is limited by the engagement with a lug 46 on the top of the body at the side thereof opposite the bar pivot.

The cable 47 from the other drum of winch 42 extends forwardly to the level of the top of the mucker body and passes (when the mucker is in fully retracted, reversed and angular discharge position) about a direction changing lug 48 upstanding from adjacent the corner of the gate end of the body at the side thereof opposite the gate hinge 31. From this pin, and when the mucker is thus retracted, the cable 47 extends across said body and is connected to the adjacent free end of a double-arm or wishbone form of bail 49 which then extends lengthwise of and against the side wall 27 in the direction of the digging scoop 29. The other end of the bail 49, at a point somewhat beyond the transverse plane of the mucker pivot 19, is diagonally pivoted on said side wall 27 as at 50 (see FIG. 1).

By means of this arrangement (and assuming the mucker to be in the fully retracted, reversed and angular discharge position of FIG. 4) a slackening of both cables 43 and 47 allows the mucker, including the truck 18, to move of itself along the rails 21 toward the face end of the shaft 1. Such movement is, of course, limited by the engagement of the leading wheels 20 of the truck 18 with the stops 23. By then pulling on the cable 47 while further slackening the cable 43, the mucker will be turned on the truck 18 and returned to digging position. Such turning continues until the mucker is in the position of FIG. 3 and from which each digging pass is preferably initiated; the bar 44 then being in engagement with the lug 46 and the bail 49 in straight alinement with the cable 47.

Upon the mucker being loaded (as hereinafter described) the above described operation of the cables 43 and 47 is reversed whereby the mucker is reversed from its digging position, and the truck 18 is pulled up the rails 21 to its limit of rearward movement, again disposing the mucker in the retracted and discharge position shown in FIG. 4. Rotative movement of the mucker beyond that required to place it in a proper'position for discharge is prevented by the engagement of the back face of the digging scoop 29 with a stop 51 fixed on and upstanding from the frame 11.

The mucker, when in a digging position, is swung back and forth (starting from left to right) by simultaneous but opposed recurringly reversed operation of the cables 43 and 47 with relatively short movements. With each left to right pass the scoop 29 will dig and receive a quantity of muck therein, just as was the case with the structure of my United States Patent No. 2,901,134. Some at least of such muck passes back into the mucker body with each left to right digging pass thereof. As in said patent, a gate is provided in themucker body a short distance back from the scoop 29 to prevent the muck-after passing into the bodyfrom sliding back into the scoop as the mucker is returned to its left hand position ready for another digging pass.

In the present structure, however, the gate 52 is mounted for straight up and down movement between guides 52 in the mucker body. This gate is yieldably pulled down to a closed position by means of tension springs 54 on the outside of the body and attached to lugs 55 which project laterally from the top of the gate and through vertical slots 56 in the sides of the mucker body. The gate is pulled open, by suitable means, just before the mucker and its scoop reach their limit of swinging movement toward the right. In the present instance, such means is a cable 57 projecting upwardly from the top of the gate 52 and through the top of the body 24. The cable 57 is there guided by suitably disposed direction changing pulleys 58 to a connection with a radial arm 59 turnable on the upper end of the non-rotatable mucker mounting spindle 19. The arm 59 is arranged to be engaged by an upstanding pin 60 fixed with said spindle. The relatively stationary pin 60 is disposed relative to the movable arm 59 (which generally faces the scoop end of the mucker body 24 when the gate 52 is closed, as indicated for instance in FIG. 3) so that as the body 24 is swung toward the right, the arm 59 engages the pin 60 and is held against swinging movement with said body 24. This results in said gate 52 being pulled upwardly to an open position; the gate closing upon the mucker swinging back to the left.

When loaded and retracted the mucker is, of course, not fully angled to its discharge position before the truck 18 reaches its full retracted position. In order to allow the cables 43 and 47 to be then manipulated to effect a final angling of the mucker to a stop engaging position (without the truck sliding ahead) the following arrangement is provided:

The rear wheels of the truck project laterally out from the rail engaging flange thereof as shown. Pivoted on a transverse shaft 61 (journaled immediately under the rails 21 just forwardly of the fully retracted position of said wheels) are stops 6% which are fixed on and normally upstand from the shaft 61 in position to be engaged, depressed and passed by the laterally outer portions of said rear wheels 20 as the latter approach their fully retracted position. The stops 62 are weighted so that they will swing forwardly and return of themselves to their upstanding stop position once the pressure of the wheels is removed therefrom.

The stops 62 are intentionally depressed, when it is desired to allow the truck 18 to move forwardly along the rails 21, by the following means:

Fixed on and upstanding from the shaft 61 between the rails 21 is a short arm 63 from which a connecting rod 64 extends rearwardly to connect with another upstanding arm 65 pivoted on the floor of the frame 11 to the rear of the rails 21. A foot-pedal lever 66 projects rearwardly from the arm 65 in bell-crank forming relation therewith. Upon depression of the pedal, the connecting rod 64 is pulled back and the stops 62 are swung back to clear the truck wheels and allow the latter to roll forwardly. It will be understood that before the pedal is depressed, the truck is retracted slightly whereby to remove the pressure of the rear wheels of the truck from the stops 62 and so that the latter may be freely swung back.

From the drawings it will be seen that the foot pedal 66, the hand lever 41 and the controls for the various winches are all clustered where they will be handy to the operator of the mucker; such operator occupying a seat 67 mounted on the rear end of the frame 11. This seat is purposely canted, with a downward slope of the rear relative to the frame 11, in order that the seat will be substantially horizontal when the mucker is in use.

Disposed in the shaft 1 alongside and parallel to the subframe 3 and to the side thereof towardwhich the discharge gate 30 faces when open, are transversely spaced rails 68. These rails are laid on the ties 6 and extend from adjacent the face end of the shaft 1 to the head thereof. The rails 68 support a skip 69 adapted to receive the load from the mucker and convey such load to the head of the shaft. A pull cable 70 is connected to the rear end of the skip and extends thence to the shaft head; operation of said cable 70 being controlled from above by means of a suitable winch (not shown).

In order to provide for the advance of the skip 69 beyond the fixed rails 68 as the excavation of the shaft 1 progresses and the muck is removed, a pair of relatively short rails 71 are mounted on the ties 6 against the laterally inner faces of the rails 68 in longitudinally adjustable relation thereto. In this way the rails 71 can be adjusted forwardly as the shaft 1 is extended. As clearly shown in FIG. 8, the rails 71 are disposed on edge, with their heads projecting under the heads of the rails 68. Since the rails are all of the conventional railroad type as shown, the flanges 72 of the skip wheels 73 readily engage under the heads of the rails 71 in guided relation and rest on the webs of such rails.

Transversely spaced guides 74 extend lengthwise of and are mounted on the swing frame 11 on the side thereof opposite the skip supporting rails; such guides slidably supporting the operating unit 75 of a conventional form of generally horizontal, vertically adjustable rock drill 76. Advance and retraction of the unit 75 is effected by means of a cable 77 connected to the rear end of said unit and extending thence to a winch 78 mounted on the swing frame 11 rearwardly of the guides. When the unit 75 is fully retracted, the rock drill 76 is lowered to a position below the rails 21 so as not to interfere with the back and forth swinging movement of the mucker.

In operation, with the subframe 3 held at the desired point of advance in the shaft 1, and while the mucker is held retracted on the swing frame 11, the unit 75 is advancedand the rock drill 76 actuated to effect a rock drilling operation in preparation for a blast. The rock drill 76 may, of course, be engaged with the face of the shaft at any point in the width thereof by swinging the swing frame 11 toward one side or the other of shaft 1.

When a blast has been effected and suflicient muck has accumulated on the floor of the shaft, the mucker 17 is allowed to advance to its limit of forward movement, as depicted in FIG. 2. The mucker is then swung through successive digging passes (as may be needed to fill it) by suitable manipulation of the cables 43 and 47 in the manner previously described. Also, the swing frame 11, on which the mucker is mounted, is swung to one side or the other of a central position in the shaft 1 as -may be necessary to suitably position the mucker for different digging passes therein.

When the mucker body 24 has been loaded, the swing frame 11 is returned to a centralized position on the subframe 3, and the mucker is retracted and reversed to its angular discharge position and wherein the gate 30 when opened-overlies the skip 69, as shown in FIG. 4; said skip having been already lowered from the shaft 7 head into a receiving position relative to said gate 30. Such receiving position is determined by the engagement of one of the forward wheels 73 of the skip with a stop 79 projecting from one side of the swing frame 11, as shown in FIG. 4.

After the gate 30 has been opened in the manner previously described and the skip is gravity loaded from the mucker, said skip is pulled up to the shaft head for unloading and a subsequent return to a reloading position. In the meantime, the mucker is again advanced and manipulated to dig another load of muck from the face end of the shaft 1. No time is, therefore, lost during the unloading and return cycle of the skip.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A mucker and skip loader to remove muck from the face end of an inclined shaft comprising a frame extending lengthwise of the floor of the shaft, a mucker including a body having a digging scoop at one and an initially closed discharge gate at the other end, means mounting the mucker body in connection with the frame for swinging movement about an upstanding axis, and control means between the frame and the mucker body to swing the latter between a position in which the scoop extends forwardly for digging and a reversed position in which the gate is disposed forwardly and when open discharges into a skip located alongside said frame.

2. A structure, as in claim 1, with a latch normally holding the discharge gate closed, latch release means on the mucker body, and operator controlled means on the frame to actuate the latch release means only when the mucker body is in said reversed discharge position.

3. A structure, as in claim 1, in which the mucker includes a truck on which the body is mounted, and the truck is guidably supported for movement along the frame; said control means being additionally operative to move the mucker and truck so that the mucker body is advanced on the frame in digging position and retracted on said frame in reversed discharge position.

4. A structure, as in claim 3, in which the truck includes front and rear wheels, rails on the frame on which the truck wheels ride, the rails at the forward end of the frame sloping downwardly from their normal level to a termination beyond the frame whereby, when the front wheels ride such sloping portion of the rails, the digging scoop of the mucker body as then advanced will be disposed at a level adjacent the floor of the shaft.

5. A structure, as in claim 3, with releasable automatically engaged stop means preventing advance of the mucker and truck from said reversed discharge position.

6. A structure, as in claim 1, in which the frame tends to advance by gravity toward the face of the shaft, a cable secured to and projecting back from the frame, a pulley anchored in the shaft rearwardly of the frame and about which the cable extends in a forward direction, and a manually controlled winch on the frame to which the forwardly projecting portion of the cable is connected.

7. A mucker and skip loader to remove muck from the face end of an inclined shaft comprising a mucker including a body having a digging scoop at one end thereof, a longitudinal subframe movable lengthwise of and supported from the floor of the shaft, a longitudinal elongated swing frame mounted on the subframe for controlled swinging movement about an upstanding axis disposed adjacent the rear end of said swing frame, means mounting the mucker on the swing frame ahead of the axis thereof for controlled swinging movement of the mucker body about an upstanding axis, and mechanisms mounted on the swing frame for separately controlling the swinging movements of the swing frame and mucker body.

8. A structure, as in claim 7, with means to control the movement of the subframe along the shaft including a manually controlled Winch mounted on the subframe rearwardly of the swing frame; said mechanisms each including a manually controlled winch mounted on the swing frame adjacent its rear end, and an operators seat on the swing frame adjacent all said winches.

9. A mucker and skip loader to remove muck from the face end of an inclined shaft comprising a frame extending lengthwise of the floor of the shaft, a mucker including a digging scoop at one end and an initially closed discharge gate at the other end, means mounting the mucker on the frame for movement between a digging position with the scoop forwardly disposed and a discharge position with the gate forwardly disposed, the mucker when in said last named position and with the gate open discharging to one side of the frame, there being a skip located at said one side of the frame to receive the discharge from the mucker, means to open the gate, and control means between the frame and mucker operative to move the latter between said digging position and discharge position.

10. A structure, as in claim 9, in which the mucker when in said discharge position is disposed at a downward incline toward the gate, whereby said mucker discharges into the skip by gravity.

11. A structure, as in claim 9, in which said mounting means is movable lengthwise of the frame whereby the mucker may be advanced in digging position and retracted in discharge position, and said control means being additionally operative to so move said mounting means.

12. A mucker and skip loader to remove muck from the face end of an inclined shaft comprising a subframe extending lengthwise of the floor of the shaft, a swing frame above and extending lengthwise of the subframe, means mounting the swing frame on the subframe for front-end lateral swinging movement, means to so swing the swing frame, a mucker including a digging scoop at one end and an initially closed discharged gate at the other end, a truck mounted on the swing frame for longitudinal movement, means mounting the mucker on the truck for turning movement be ween a digging position with the scoop forwardly disposed and a discharge position with the gate forwardly disposed, the mucker when in said last named position and with the gate open discharging to one side of the swing frame, the latter being substantially centered over the subframe for such discharge from the mucker, there being a skip then located at said one side of the swing frame to receive said discharge from the mucker, means to open the gate, and control means between the frame and mucker arranged to impart said longitudinal movement to the truck and turning movement to the mucker.

13. A structure, as in claim 12, in which the mucker when in said discharge position extends at a forward diagonal and downward incline to the gate, and the open gate then overhanging the skip.

14. A mucker and skip loader to remove muck from the face end of an inclined shaft comprising a longitudinal frame in the shaft adjacent said face end thereof, a mucker having a normally forwardly disposed digging end and an opposed d1scharge end, means mounting the mucker on the frame for swinging to impart back and forth lateral passes to said forwardly disposed digging end or swinging to reverse the mucker to forwardly dispose said discharge end, the mucker when reversed being positioned for gravitational discharge from said last named end and to one side of the frame, there being a skip at said one side of the frame and into which skip the mucker discharges, and a power actuated cable system connected between the frame and mucker operative to so swing the mucker, selectively.

15. A structure, as in claim 14, in which said mount- 9 ing means supports the mucker on the frame for movement between an advanced position and a retracted position; the cable system being operative to move the mucker to said retracted position upon reversing the rnucker to its discharge position. 5

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,992,129 2/ 1935 Parker 299--64 2,116,905 5/1938 Mercier et a1. 21441 10 Turner 214-90 Tapper 214-103 Miller 214-41 Biedess 21490 Huelsdonk 214--103 Russell 299-64 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Examiner. 

1. A MUCKER AND SKIP LOADER TO REMOVE MUCK FROM THE FACE END OF AN INCLINED SHAFT COMPRISING A FRAME EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE FLOOR OF THE SHAFT, A MUCKER INCLUDING A BODY HAVING A DIGGING SCOOP AT ONE AND AN INITIALLY CLOSED DISCHARGE GATE AT THE OTHER END, MEANS MOUNTING THE MUCKER BODY IN CONNECTION WITH THE FRAME FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT AN UPSTANDING AXIS, AND CONTROL MEANS BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE MUCKER BODY TO SWING THE LAT- 